This invention relates to an intraocular lens and in particular to such a lens which is surgically implanted into the eye to substitute for the natural lens.
The natural lens of the eye frequently becomes opaque with age so that vision is severely impaired. This condition of opacity is commonly referred to as cataract. When the opaque natural lens is removed an aphakic correction is needed.
Corrections reported in the prior art have included spectacles, removable contact lenses and surgically implanted intraocular lenses. The choice of which correction to use is a medical decision. However, optically they are different in what they accomplish. Spectacles provide disturbed peripheral vision. A contact lens does provide normal peripheral vision but because it must be removable does not provide the permanence and the precision of optical correction and often is difficult for the older patient to remove or insert. The implanted intraocular lens requires surgery but provides the most precise optical correction including peripheral vision of these three approaches to correction.
The prior art in the field of artificial intraocular lenses is found primarily in Class 3, Sub-class 13 of the United States Patent classification system. Prior art relating to intraocular lenses which are implanted in the anterior chamber of the eye or the chamber in front of the iris include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,673,616, 3,906,551, 3,922,728, 3,925,825, 3,971,073, 3,979,780, 3,996,626. Prior art patents relating to intraocular lenses in the chamber behind the iris, or the posterior chamber include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,711,870, 3,866,249, 3,913,148.
In the prior art as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,551 the lens has a support portion which is inserted posteriorly or behind the iris. Fixation of this lens is made with a suture through the less movable portion of the iris.
One object of the present invention is to provide a novel intraocular lens whose entire structure is in the anterior chamber or in front of the iris, but may also be fixated posteriorly.
A further object of this invention is to provide a novel intraocular lens which requires no sutures or capsule fixation.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the description and claims which follow taken together with the appended drawings.